Kohala Lighthouse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Kohala Lighthouse.

To be straight with you, looking at the whole 16-day window, it’s a pretty grim run. The wind is relentless from the east-northeast, and it’s almost always a cross or cross-onshore breeze, which is just going to trash the surface. There’s no real clean window to speak of. The water temp is sitting at 80°F, which is about average for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing your arse off while you’re looking at junk.

The first real shot of swell comes in on Saturday, 26th July, but honestly, it’s a write-off. We’ve got a 7ft to 7ft swell from the ENE, but it’s coupled with a fresh 22 mph cross-shore wind. The combined energy here is moderate at around 537 to 589, but the wind is going to absolutely ruin it. The wave comment says it all: poor surf conditions. Don’t even bother.

Sunday, 27th July, sees the swell drop to 4ft but the period jumps to 14-15 seconds, giving us a solid groundswell. The energy climbs to 775 in the morning and 1074 in the afternoon, which is strong. But again, that fresh cross-shore wind is still blowing at 19-22 mph, so it’s going to be lumpy and messy. The rating is a 1 out of 10, marginal at best. The long period might make it better shaped at a reef like this, but the wind is just too much.

Monday, 28th July, the swell is back up to 6ft-6ft, period around 13 seconds, and the energy is strong, hitting 1145 and 1447. But the wind has shifted to a cross-onshore from the NE, and it’s still moderate to fresh. This is just choppy, poor surf. No good.

Tuesday, 29th July, is the biggest swell of the run, pushing 10ft from the ENE with a 12-13 second period. The combined energy is massive, over 3000, which is very strong. This is heavy, powerful stuff. The wind is a cross-onshore at 12 mph, so it’s still choppy, but the rating scrapes a 2. At 10ft, this is expert-only territory. It’s big, but it’s not clean.

Wednesday, 30th July, the swell drops to 5ft-6ft, and the wind eases to a gentle 9 mph cross-shore breeze. This is actually the closest we get to something decent. The morning sees a 5ft, 9-second swell from the ENE with moderate energy (561), and the wind is light enough that the comment says "gentle cross-shore with slight cross-chop." It’s still marginal, but it’s the best of a bad bunch. The afternoon is a bit bigger but the period drops to 8 seconds, so it’s weaker.

From Thursday, 31st July, right through to Sunday, 9th August, it’s a wasteland. The wind stays fresh to strong, mostly cross-shore, and the swell is all over the place, from 4ft to 8ft, with periods of 6 to 16 seconds. The energy is moderate to strong, but the wind never gives us a break. The wave comments are either "poor surf conditions" or "marginal," and the scores are all 0s, 1s, or 2s. There is nothing here that’s worth paddling out for.

The only standout, if you can call it that, is Wednesday morning, 30th July. The 5ft swell from the ENE with a light 9 mph cross-shore breeze is the cleanest the break will be. The swell direction (ENE) is off from the optimum (N), but it’s a reef, so it’ll still wrap. The combined energy is a weak 561, so it’s not going to be epic, but it’s the only time the wind isn’t trying to kill the session. Crowds are sometimes a factor here, so you might have a few others with the same idea.

Overall, mate, this is a tough one. The entire 16-day forecast is a battle with the wind. There’s a two-week gap from the end of July until the 9th of August where there’s absolutely nothing recommended. The surf is there, but the conditions are just not on our side. Keep the board in the car, but don’t get your hopes up.

Rusty.

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